Microsoft-owned Nokia goes Android

Microsoft may have bought it out, but that hasn’t stopped Nokia announcing handsets powered by Google’s rival Android operating system.

The X, X+ and XL handsets feature a customised version of Android with users taken to Nokia’s app store and Microsoft’s cloud service instead of Google’s.

Speaking at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop said: ‘With the Nokia X, we benefit from the Android app ecosystem. However, we have built on this, with the device introducing new people to Nokia apps and services. It also means Android developers can bring their apps to the Nokia family in just a few hours.’

He added: ‘The Nokia X takes people to Microsoft’s cloud, not Google’s cloud, which means Microsoft will be able to reach people it has never talked to, all around the world.’

The X features a 4-inch touchscreen, the X+ a higher spec, and the XL a 5-inch display. The handsets will available later this year for £75, £85 and £95 respectively.

The manufacturer also announced the Nokia 220 – a phone with Facebook and Twitter pre-loaded – for just £25.